Phaedra Cook is eating her way through Houston and counting down her 100 favorite dishes of 2015. It's a collection of personal favorites that is also indicative of Houston dining. It's a scene where a vast range of dishes coexist: highbrow and lowbrow; local and international; cheap and expensive; modern cuisine and beloved tenets — and everything in between.

The entrance to Tiger Den is so subtle that it takes a minute to find it in the sprawling Dun Huang strip center off Bellaire. The sign is in simple white letters, a stark contrast to the big, flashy neon signs that are the rule rather than the exception in this part of Chinatown.

It's easier to locate if you're looking for the crowds of people outside waiting for a seat. There's a good reason for the wait: The ramen is worth it. (Be sure to put your name on the sign-up sheet posted outside the door. It's unlikely anyone is going to point it out to you, and then you won't get seated for a while.)

Inside, the atmosphere is a bit reminiscent of a gritty nighttime scene from Blade Runner. Benches are crowded with diners clasping their ramen bowls. A touch of smoke fills the air, the result of pork belly, gizzards and chicken skin being grilled to crisp perfection in the kitchen. The porky tonkotsu broth is a sea of seductive flavors and textures: creamy, sultry and salty with an undertow of garlic. There are spry slivers of green onion, a handful of bamboo shoots and chewy tree ear mushrooms. The garlic black bean ramen is another must-try variation.

Tiger Den is too fun and deliberately casual for a printed sake or beer list, but there are always a well-chosen handful of good ones available to go alongside the ramen, and the fried chicken skin is a terrific starter.